Energy Dissipation and Apparent Viscosity of Semi-solid Metal during Rheological Processes Part Ⅱ： Apparent Viscosity

This study investigated the rheological properties of semi-solid metal. An analytical model of apparent viscosity was built up based on analysis of energy dissipation during rheological processes such as slurry preparing, delivering and model filling. The rheological properties of SSM （semi-solid metal） slurry was described by an analytical model in terms of microstructural parameters, which consist of effective solid fraction, particle size and shape, and flow parameters such as mean velocity, fluctuant velocity and relative velocity between liquid and solid phase. The model was verified in the experiment of A356 alloys with a coaxial double-bucket rheometer. And the maximum relative error between the theoretical value and measured one is less than 20%. The results of experiment and theoretical calculation also indicate that the microstructural parameters and flow parameters are two major factors that affect the apparent viscosity of semi-solid alloys, and fluctuant velocity and relative velocity between liquid and solid phase are the key factors to distinguish between steady and transient rheological properties.     

Interfacial energy issues in ceramic particulate reinforced metal matrix composites

One major scientific issue that needs to be resolved and understood in order to design ceramic particle reinforced metal matrix composites is the interfacial energy state between the matrix and the reinforcement. Solid-solid interfacial energy between the particle and the matrix effects the final interface characteristics and also significantly influences the particle redistribution due to its effect on particle pushing engulfment by the melt interface. The paper analyses the physics behind the particle pushing and engulfment by the solidifying interface considering models utilizing interfacial force as energy difference between the particle in the solid and particle in the liquid melt. Various methods of evaluating solid-solid interfacial energy have been discussed. Velocity of melt interface movement at which the particles are engulfed by the matrix referred to as critical velocity of the system under given conditions has been shown to be directly related to the interfacial energy. Critical appraisal of experiments to determine the critical velocity have been presented for aluminium matrix dispersed with zirconia particles. Advantages of carrying out experiments under μg environment have been pointed out.     

Phase-field Simulation of Microstructural Evolution during Preparation of Semi-solid Metal by Electromagnetic Stirring Method

In the process of preparation of semi-solid metal materials, a variety of factors would influence the preparing time and the morphology of non-dendritic microstructure. The aim of this work is using phase-field method to simulate non-dendritic growth during preparation of AI-4Cu-Mg semi-solid alloy by electromagnetic stirring method （EMS method）. Several factors such as the disturbance intensity, anisotropy, the thickness of the interface and the ratio of diffusivity in solid and liquid were considered. It is shown that decreasing the thickness of the interface results in more circular outline of particles, and increasing the diffusivity in solid can reduce degree of microsegregation. The disturbance intensity in the model can be connected with current intensity of stator or magnetic induction density impressed. Simulation results show that the larger the disturbance intensity or magnetic induction density, the more globular morphology the original phase in the matrix.     

Redox flow batteries based on insoluble redox-active materials.A review

The ever-increasing demand for energy has stimulated the development of economical non-fossil fuels.As representative of clean energy,solar and wind have been identified as the most promising energy sources due to their abundance,cost efficiency,and environmental friendliness.The intrinsic intermittent of the clean energy leads to the urgent requirements large-scale energy storage technique.Redox flow batteries(RFBs)are attractive technology due to their independent control over energy and power.Insoluble redox-active flow battery is a new type of electrochemical energy storage technology that disperses redox-active particles in the electrolyte.Compared with traditional flow batteries,insoluble flow batteries have advantages of large energy density and are very promising in the development of large-scale energy storage systems.At present,three types of insoluble flow batteries have been explored:slurry-based flow batteries,metal/slurry hybrid,and redox-mediator-assisted flow batteries.This Review summarizes the research progress of insoluble flow batteries,and analyzes the key challenges from the fundamental research and practical application perspectives.     

Behaviors of Oxide Layer at Interface between Semi-solid Filler Metal and Aluminum Matrix Composites during Vibration

The joint interface between semi-solid Zn-Al filler metal and SiCp/Al composites with applying vibration for different time was examined. With increasing vibrating time, the oxide layer was disrupted prior at the centre to the periphery of the interface. And the solid grains near the centre of interface in semi-solid filler metal aggregated into two solid regions and compressed the composites during vibration; the solid grains near the periphery of interface moved toward the edge and scraped the composites during vibration. The models of disrupting oxide layer under the vibration condition were developed. At the centre of interface, the oxide layer was tore and stripped during the solid grains in the semi-solid filler metal depressing the composites with a very high compressive stress. At the periphery of interface, the oxide layer was cut and stripped into the filler metal during the solid grains scraping the interface.     

Semi-solid Thixoforming Simulation of Al-Cu-Mn-Ti Alloy Parts via AnyCasting

The software AnyCasting was used to simulate the thixotropic die-casting process of semi-solid Al-Cu-Mn-Ti alloy slurry to form the parts of a particular shape, especially on how the in-gate size of die and injection speed affect the process. The results showed that the die cavity can be filled well with the semi-solid slurry in form of laminar flow under conditions that the temperature of the semi-solid slurry is 640℃ and that of die 200-240℃, thickness of in-gate is 11 mm and, more important, the injection speed should be changed from 0.1 to 1.0 m/s when 60% of die cavity has been filled. The simulation result is highly proved in conformity to the actual die-casting specimens in accordance to the filling process as simulated. Moreover, the hardness of the specimens is up to 116.6 HV after the treatment of solid solution plus underaging, i.e. 45.7% higher than that in conventional ones.     

Effects of Guiding Angle on Plastic Metal Flow and Defects in Extrusion of Aluminum Alloy

To reduce defects, such as the shrinkage cavity and the surface cracks caused by non-homogeneous metal flow in extrusion process, an extrusion method was proposed by using a die with the guiding angle. Numerical simulation and experiment were conducted to investigate the metal flow in this extrusion process. It is shown that the stress state at the bottom of the die is changed. The tendency to generate the dead zone is decreased by employing the guiding angle at the die entrance. The shrinkage cavity is reduced because the non-homogeneous metal flow at the final stage of extrusion is improved. The axial stress is decreased greatly so that the surface cracks caused by additional stress are avoided.     

Microstructural Evolution of 6061 Alloy during Isothermal Heat Treatment

The semi-solid billet of 6061 aluminum alloy was prepared by the near-liquidus semi-continuous casting(LSC) with rosette or near-spheroide grains.The pre-deformation processing was applied before partial remelting to further improve the microstructure and properties of the semi-solid alloy.The effects of different processing parameters,such as holding temperature and holding time,on the semisolid microstructures during partial remelting have been investigated.It was found that the optimal partial remelting parameters should be 630℃ and 10-15 min for 6061 alloy cold rolled with 60% reduction in height of pre-deformation.The coarsening rates were anasysed by Lifshitz-Slyozov-Wagner(LSW) theory.The pre-deformed 6061 alloy exhibits lower coarsening rate constants than that of the as-cast one,and also lower than other alloys processed by different method found in previous literature.It is because the coarsening rate is associated with the initial microstructure and composition of the alloy.The secondary phases in the alloy inhibit the migration of the liquid film grain boundaries.The microstructure obtained by using the combination of near-liquidus semicontinuous casting and pre-deformation treatment is better than that without pre-deformation processing,which demonstrates that the used method is promising for fabricating high quality semi-solid alloys.     

Study on Laser Transformation Hardening of HT250 by High Speed Axis Flow CO2 Laser

In this article, laser transformation hardening of HT250 material by high speed axis flow CO2 laser was investigated for first time in China. Appropriate laser hardening parameters, such as laser energy power P(W), laser scanning rate V(m/min), were optimized through a number of experiments. The effect of the mentioned parameters on the hardened zone, including its case depth, microhardness distributions etc., were analyzed. Through the factual experiments, it is proved that axial flow CO2 laser, which commonly outputs low mode laser beam, can also treat materials as long as the treating parameters used are rational. During the experiments, the surface qualities of some specimens treated by some parameters were found to be enhanced, which does not coincide with the former results. Furthermore in the article, the abnormal phenomenon observed in the experiments is discussed. According to the experimental results, the relationship between laser power density q and scanning rate V is shown in a curve and the corresponding formulation, which have been proved to be valuable for choosing the parameters of laser transformation hardening by axial flow CO2 lasers, was also given.     

Interfacial Structure of Steel-Mushy Al-20Sn Bonding Plate

Fe-AI compound at the interface of steel-mushy AI-20Sn bonding plate was studied quantitatively. The relationship between ratio of Fe-AI compound at interface and bonding parameters (such as preheat temperature of steel plate, solid fraction of AI-20Sn slurry and rolling speed) was established by artificial neural networks perfectly. The results show that when the bonding parameters are 505℃ for preheat temperature of steel plate, 34.3% for solid fraction of AI-20Sn slurry and 10 mm/s for rolling speed, the reasonable ratio of Fe-AI compound corresponding to the largest interfacial shear strength of bonding plate is obtained. Its value is 72%. This reasonable ratio of Fe-AI compound is a quantitative criterion of interfacial embrittlement, that is, when the ratio of Fe-AI compound at interface is larger than 72%, interfacial embrittlement will occur.     

Energy Dissipation and Apparent Viscosity of Semi-solid Metal during Rheological Processes Part Ⅰ: Energy Dissipation

The energy dissipation caused by the viscous force has great effects on the flow property of semi-solid metal during rheological processes such as slurry preparing, delivering and cavity filling. Experimental results in this paper indicate that the viscous friction between semi-solid metal and pipe wall, the collisions among the solid particles, and the liquid flow around particles are the three main types of energy dissipation. On the basis of the hydromechanics, the energy dissipation calculation model is built. It is demonstrated that the micro-structural parameters such as effective solid fraction, particle size and shape, and flow parameters such as the mean velocity, the fluctuant velocity of particles and the relative velocity between the fluid and solid phase, affect the energy dissipation of semi-solid metal.     

Energy Dissipation and Apparent Viscosity of Semi-solid Metal during Rheological Processes Part Ⅱ: Apparent Viscosity

This study investigated the rheological properties of semi-solid metal. An analytical model of apparent viscosity was built up based on analysis of energy dissipation during rheological processes such as slurry preparing,delivering and model filling. The rheological properties of SSM (semi-solid metal) slurry was described by an analytical model in terms of microstructural parameters, which consist of effective solid fraction, particle size and shape, and flow parameters such as mean velocity, fluctuant velocity and relative velocity between liquid and solid phase. The model was verified in the experiment of A356 alloys with a coaxial double-bucket rheometer. And the maximum relative error between the theoretical value and measured one is less than 10%.The results of experiment and theoretical calculation also indicate that the microstructural parameters and flow parameters are two major factors that affect the apparent viscosity of semi-solid alloys, and fluctuant velocity and relative velocity between liquid and solid phase are the key factors to distinguish between steady and transient rheological properties.     

Al-4Cu-Mg合金的半固态变形及模型化研究

研究了变形温度和应变速率对Al-4Cu-Mg合金半固态变形行为的影响.实验结果表明:变形温度和应变速率对峰值应力影响显著,对稳态应力影响较小.在变形初期,变形主要以液相的流动(LF)和液固相混合流动(FLS)为主,在液相重新分布以后,变形主要以固相粒子的相互滑移(SS)和固相粒子的塑性变形(PDS)来实现,此阶段容易发生液固相分离现象.以半固态热模拟压缩实验为基础,建立了反映半固态Al-4Cu-Mg合金变形行为的本构关系模型,通过验证可知该模型具有较好的精度.     

EFFECTS OF LIQUID VISCOSITY ON RHEOLOGY OF CONCENTRATED SUSPENSIONS

This paper presents the experimental results on the effects of liquid viscosity on the rheology of concentrated suspensions of solid particles in Newtonian liquids. Specifically, the relative viscosity of a pseudoplastic suspension decreases as the viscosity of the suspending liquid increases, indicating excess energy dissipation in a less viscous liquid. In contrast, the relative viscosity of a Newtonian suspension is only slightly affected by the liquid viscosity. It is in excellent agreement with the value predicted from the rigid sphere model which neglects nonhydrodynamic interactions, and assumes zero particle-to-liquid relative velocity. The flow behavior indices of both concentrated suspensions are independent of the liquid viscosity.     

Distinct Element Model of Energy Dissipation in Vibrated Binary Particulate Mixtures

Distinct element model (DEM) simulations of energy dissipation in vibrated particle beds are compared with experimental results. DMX, a 3-D DEM of polydisperse spheres in an open-top vibrating cylinder, was used. Simulations were conducted for vibrating mono and binary particle systems. Energy dissipation rate per vibration cycle at different frequencies and maximum accelerations was examined. Experimental data from previous publications were compared with the simulations. Reasonable qualitative agreement was achieved on scaled-up (by number of particles) simulation results. These show that DEM can capture the harmonic phenomena, showing resonance in dissipation at several frequencies at low accelerations (<1 g). At high acceleration levels (>1 g) no harmonics are observed. At low frequency levels where the vibration amplitudes are higher, the DEM reproduces experimental energy dissipation levels better than a continuum viscoelastic model. For a larger diameter vessel (fewer layers and decreased wall effects) the resonant dissipation frequency increases. Quantitative agreement between DMX predictions and the experiments is reasonable given the scatter in the experimental results; at high frequency there is at least an order of magnitude difference in the rate of dissipation, which was also observed in viscoelastic model predictions. Results show that even with using only 100 particles the agreement between DMX predictions and the experiments is qualitatively reasonable. This will enable the examination of many more situations and combinations as it can be carried out relatively “fast.”     

EFFECTS OF LIQUID VISCOSITY ON RHEOLOGY OF CONCENTRATED SUSPENSIONS

ABSTRACT

This paper presents the experimental results on the effects of liquid viscosity on the rheology of concentrated suspensions of solid particles in Newtonian liquids. Specifically, the relative viscosity of a pseudoplastic suspension decreases as the viscosity of the suspending liquid increases, indicating excess energy dissipation in a less viscous liquid. In contrast, the relative viscosity of a Newtonian suspension is only slightly affected by the liquid viscosity. It is in excellent agreement with the value predicted from the rigid sphere model which neglects nonhydrodynamic interactions, and assumes zero particle-to-liquid relative velocity. The flow behavior indices of both concentrated suspensions are independent of the liquid viscosity.     

Clean metal nucleated casting

Nucleated casting is a method of casting metal below its liquidus temperature, casting as a semisolid rather than as a liquid. In nucleated casting, a stream of liquid metal is directed into a gas atomizer, which converts it into a spray and accelerates the spray droplets from the atomization zone toward a collection mold. Because of the high surface-to-volume ratio, high relative velocity, and a large temperature difference between the gas and droplets, the droplets lose heat very efficiently to the surrounding gas.Droplet diameter and process parameters such as gas-to-metal flow ratio, process rate, and spray distance have significant impact on the solid fraction of the metal at the collection zone. Small particles lose all of their heat of fusion and are fully solid when they strike; they will likely remelt in the semi-solid pool. Large particles are fully liquid when they strike. Medium-size particles are partially solid. When the particles strike the surface of the pool, a large number of nucleation sites are available for further solidification. Each nucleation site grows until it strikes an adjacent site and all local liquid is consumed and a fine-grained metallurgical structure results. When operated at high gas-to-metal ratio the semisolid will have small (<30%) fraction liquid, and free-form casting is possible. This process is commonly called spray forming. When operated at low gas-to-metal ratio the semisolid will have a high (>75%) fraction liquid, and a mold is required to contain the metal as it continues to solidify. This process is termed nucleated casting.Alloy 718 metal has been cast in a prototype nucleated casting system for demonstrating the feasibility of the new process. Metallographic examination shows that the as-cast material possesses a uniform, equiaxed 0.075 mm (ASTM 4.5) grain structure. Macrosegregation-related defects were not found in the casting or in forgings that were obtained from the ingots.     

Energy dissipation in collision of two balls covered by fine particles

A new fine particle impact damper (FPID) is composed of a spherical impactor and a small quantity of fine particles as damping agent. The model of energy dissipation in the collision between two balls covered by fine particles is necessary to investigate the mechanism and performance of FPID. In this study, a simplified model verified by FEA simulations is proposed to estimate the energy dissipation in collision between two balls covered by fine particles. In addition, the energy dissipation in the collision between two balls covered by fine particles is compared with that in the impact between two balls without fine particles, by means of theoretical predictions. FEA simulations are also carried out to discuss the effects of diameter ratio of particle to ball, particle material and particle amount on the energetic expression of the elastic–plastic loading (EPL) index (EPL_E). The results from the FEA simulations agree well with the estimations from the model proposed in this paper. It is concluded that the energy dissipation in the collision between two balls covered by fine particles can be predicted by classical collision models of two particles through the substitution of several parameters from balls; the plastic deformation of fine particles affixed on balls can exhaust much more energy than that of the two balls without particles, which is the reason for the good performance of FPID; the diameter ratio of particle to ball and the material of particles do not have significant effects on the EPL_E when the ratio is limited to the range of [1/200 – 1/10]. A correlation of the EPL_E and dimensionless initial relative velocity is also found for the collisions between two balls, which is independent not only of the particle size and material properties but also of the particles presence.     

Energy separation mechanism in unconfined laminar compressible vortex

A theoretical investigation from the view point of gas-dynamics and thermodynamics was carried out, in order to clarify the energy separation mechanism in an unconfined laminar compressible vortex, as a primary flow element of a vortex tube. The mathematical solutions of density and temperature in a viscous compressible vortical flow, with tangential velocity, were examined using an evaluation equation of total temperature. It is found from the results that a hotter gas in the peripheral region of the vortex is mainly generated by heat caused by viscous dissipation. A colder gas in the vortex center is mainly generated by viscous shear work done by the fluid element onto the surface of the surrounding gas. In addition, it is also found that the larger the representative Mach number of a vortex is, the lower the total temperature at the center of the vortex is, and at the same time, the higher the maximum total temperature in the peripheral region is. The increase in specific heat ratio of the working gas has the same effect, as increasing the representative Mach number of the vortex, on the total temperature in the vortex.